Re: Benjamin and Rosa Sellers from Horry Co.

I am the great-grandson of Benjamin F. Sellers (son of my great-great grandparents Sion F. Sellers and Olive M. Jordan) and Rosa "Rosie" Thompkins Sellers of Horry County. My fraternal grandparents were the late Archie "Arch" Martin and Fannie Sellers Martin of Horry, who moved to Red Springs, Robison County NC some time after 1910. My father was the late Herman W. Martin who was born in Red Springs. My grandfather Arch Martin died in Red Springs when my father was 12 years old. He married Wilma Inez Daniels of East Laurinburg NC and I was born in Maxton, NC in 1947, then lived in Laurinburg NC until we moved to Myrtle Beach SC in the mid-'60s.

Though I have lived here most of my life, I am just now starting to learn more of my ancestry and connect with many cousins I never knew I had. I have done this in part through membership in the Chicora Indian Tribe of South Carolina. My third cousin Gene Martin started, or rather re-started the tribe and served as its first chief for many years.

Rosa "Rosie" Thompkins is described on some genealogical sites' notes about the family, such as this one - http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/h/u/d/Edwin-C-Hudson-GA/GENE17-0016.htmlhttp://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/h/u/d/Edwin-C-Hudson-GA/GENE17-0016.html - to be either one half or one-quarter Lumbee Indian. I believe this is in error. Given the fact that she came from Horry and Thompkins is one of the core names of members of two closely-interrelated tribes indigenous to this area, I believe that she was in fact either one half or full-blooded Chicora or Waccamaw. My grandmother and the four of her siblings that I knew (Berry Benjamin "BB" Sellers, James Mack Sellers and John Sellers) all had the appearance of full-blooded Native Americans, as did their Sellers cousins that I remember.

I am still digging for more info about my great-grandparents and their ancestry. I am just scratching the surface. Just two months ago I did not even know their names. Let's stay in touch. I will pass along to you what I learn.